There’s no denying the power of the online review. Travellers are actively seeking the opinions of former guests when making a booking decision, which means you need to get proactive with your resort’s reputation management if you want to shine online.
Many hotel owners shy away from directly asking for reviews, but there’s no need for this reluctance. Your guests are usually only too happy to share their experiences; all they need is a gentle nudge in the right direction.
So how do you generate more reviews without coming across as pushy and irritating your guests? Here are 4 simple ideas to consider.
Post-stay communication
Send your recent guests a personalised email a few days after they check-out. After thanking them for their stay, take the opportunity to remind them how much reviews are appreciated, providing a direct link to your TripAdvisor or guest testimonial page to make the process as quick and easy as possible.
Ask for reviews in your printed material
Don’t forget to add a short note urging guests to leave reviews on any printed material you hand out to guests, such as a business card or free map. A straightforward ‘Thank you for your custom, please take a moment to review us on TripAdvisor” will suffice. This printed material should also feature your website address, email and social media details.
Create a custom home page
If your resort has an internet café or offers in-room computers, you can create a custom home page directing users to popular review sites like TripAdvisor. Keep in mind however, that many of these sites are on the lookout for too many reviews coming from one location, so you need to actively encourage reviews using other methods too.
Ensure excellent service!
Remember, reviews will practically generate themselves if you give guests something positive to take away from their experience with you. Something about their stay should be so great that they just can’t wait to share it with others in the form of a review.
What are you doing to drive guest reviews online? Let us know in the comments below.
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